Ex-Marine convicted in Miramar fraud

San Diego  A federal jury deliberated less than 30 minutes Tuesday before finding a former Marine sergeant guilty in a fraud and bribery scheme at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, officials said.

Former Marine sergeant Luis Gilbert Menchaca, 32, of Romoland in Riverside County, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery and three counts of making false claims, U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy said in a statement. He had been charged in an indictment last year.

A co-defendant, Manuel Ramos-Padilla, also 32, of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to commit bribery and making false claims.

Menchaca joined the Marines in 1998. He served four years and joined the Marine Corps Reserve after being discharged. During his active duty, he worked as a military police watch commander at Miramar.

Ramos-Padilla worked in an office at Miramar that processed travel claims for reservists.

When on active duty and mobilized, Menchaca was eligible to be reimbursed for lodging expenses in addition to a housing allowance, officials said.

According to trial evidence, Menchaca conspired in May 2007 with Ramos-Padilla to file claims for lodging expenses that were never incurred, and to submit a fake receipt for a rental address on Mission Village Drive in San Diego.

Officials said the conspiracy lasted 10 months, with a total of $38,000 in false claims. The money was deposited monthly into Menchaca’s bank account.

Court records show Menchaca paid Ramos up to $1,000 a month in cash and occasionally gave him personal checks with amounts up to $1,500.

Duffy said that investigating and prosecuting bribery is one of the top priorities of her office.

“With our nation’s military strained to the breaking point, we cannot afford to allow public corruption to drain much-needed U.S. Marine Corps resources,” her statement said.

Sentencings are scheduled on Aug. 9 for Ramos-Padilla and on Oct. 4 for Menchaca. Both men will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw.

Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution for conspiracy to commit bribery.

For the conviction on three counts of false claims, Menchaca also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, plus restitution, officials said.